A GENEROUS response to an urgent plea to save Dunsfold Village Stores and Post Office has secured its future.

When the business failed to sell on the open market earlier last year, there were fears the village might lose it altogether.

The owners and long-serving managers Sue and Tony Bowden asked the parish council if it could arrange a community buyout.

Parish council chairman Alan Ground went into action and the Dunsfold Community Shop Association was born last July.

More than 150 people packed into a public meeting to support the scheme last November.

They responded so enthusiastically when the community buyout shares went on sale on December 1 that the sum of £200,000 required was raised by January 17.

There were big smiles all round both when the sale was completed on Tuesday and former shop manager Annie Wace became the new sub-postmistress.

In addition to the money raised through shares, the shop fund has been further boosted by grants from the Plunkett Foundation, Surrey Community Action, Surrey County Council and Dunsfold Parish Council plus a linked loan from the Co-Op.

The committee has recruited Gwen Edwards as a paid full time manager to lead a willing band of 42 local volunteers.

It has also added new suppliers, bought an electric scanning system and extended the opening hours.

Mr and Mrs Bowden, who have run the shop and post office for 29 years and will continue to live next door, can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

“We opened on my birthday on January 29 and we had hoped to complete on the same day to make it exactly 29 years,” said Mr Bowden.

“But Tuesday was Annie’s birthday so the tradition has been continued.

“We have enjoyed being such a central part of Dunsfold and getting to know so many nice people.”

He added: “It will come as a big shock having so much free time after working seven days a week for 29 years but we are looking forward to it.

Already a pillar of the community as village hall trustee, leader of Dunsfold brownies and shop committee member, Mrs Wace is also looking forward to being sub-postmistress.

“The way everyone rallied around so quickly was a huge show of love for the shop and that is also reflected by the large number of volunteers keen to help run it,” she said.

“The Plunkett Foundation told us that Dunsfold had raised the finance and successfully managed the transformation into a community owned shop faster than almost anywhere else in the UK.

“I was very touched that my own two brownies raised £19.05 for the fund by selling lemonade and cakes and they never even told me what they had done until afterwards.”